Stall type rack



Nov. 6, 1956 G. R. JOHNSON 2,769,559

STALL TYPE RACK Filed Aug. 13. 1952 INVENTOR m i2. 2 -I2 Geo/1176 Robe/ a bi/73 j 1 T i9 1 m o O "ZI' 0 BY N N N [2 M (g -11,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6 STALL TYPE RACK George Robert Johnson, Milford, Conn.

Application August 13, 1952, Serial No. 304,095

1 Claim. (Cl. 21416.4)

The present invention relates to stall type racks and particularly to such type racks for storing heavy objects.

Heretofore in storing strip or rod steel, for example, which is moved in bundles by means of a crane or similar lift, it has been impossible to deposit the same directly in the stall due to the interference of the stall with the crane or lift. Accordingly, it has been necessary to deposit the steel adjacent the rack and hand fill the rack. This is a laborious and time-consuming job and one which in creases substantially the cost of storing such steel.

The present invention overcomes these difiiculties by providing a stall type rack with a slidable section which may be withdrawn from the stall to an exposed position in which the rod or strip steel may be deposited directly by the crane, after which the slidable section may be returned to the stall to storage position.

A feature of the invention resides in providing roller supports for the slidable section which aid in its movement and which are so arranged in the rack as to be pitched to the rear thereof so as to prevent inadvertent shifting of the slidable section out of the stall.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a novel supporting means for the free end of the slidable section for supporting the same when drawn outwardly to exposed position and for supporting the slidable section when the load is applied thereto. In the preferred form of the invention the support is adjustable so that it may cooperate with the slidable section for any stall in the rack.

Another feature of the invention resides in the load supporting portions in the slidable member for supporting bundles of rods or strips in a position therein to permit the ready removal of the chains or other lifting means from around the bundle after they have been deposited within the slidable section.

The rack according to the preferred form of the invention is fabricated from channel and angle iron and can be readily made up in any desired number of stalls as may be required. This material also lends to simplicity and cheapness in manufacture of the same.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claim when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the rack.

Fig. 2 shows a front end view of the rack.

Fig. 3 shows a detailed view partly in section of the rack, with the slidable section in place.

Fig. 4 shows a detailed sectional view of the roller.

Fig. 5 shows a detailed exploded view of the interconnecting means between the carriage and slidable section.

As shown in the drawing, the present invention relates to stall type racks which can be fabricated from I-beams, channel and angle iron to the required shape to produce horizontally extending open-ended stalls. While the stalls may be arranged in side by side relation either horizontally or vertically or in both directions as required, they are herein illustrated as being superposed in a vertical direction.

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This is accomplished by a plurality of I-beams 10 which have transverse channel members 11 connected thereto to provide the sides for the rack which are connected by transversely extending channel 13 to form the rack provided with superposed stalls adapted for the storage of heavy elongate articles such as bundles of steel rods or strips or other similar material which require article lifting means, such as a crane or lift truck, not shown, for moving the material.

With stall type racks it is impossible to load the rack by article lifting means which usually raise the material by providing slings or the like article supporting members which extend under the article.

According to the present this difiiculty is overcome by providing each stall with a slidable section 14. In the illustrated form of the invent-ion the slidable section comprises angle irons 15 connected by U-shaped members 16 formed of channel iron. The U-shaped members are nested in and connected to the angle irons, as shown in Fig. 3, with the bow 16a of the U extending between the angle irons and forming therewith the bottom or base of the slidable section and the legs 16b of the U extending upwardly and each forming a part of the side wall for an open-top slidable section. The side walls so formed will have openings therein which will enable the lifting means to deposit the bundles of steel directly into the section as will be described.

While the slidable section may be mounted in the stall for sliding movement in any suitable manner, in the herein illustrated form of the invention rollers 17 are provided and mounted by antifriction bearings 18 on a plurality of rods 19 extending between the sides of the rack, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to support the sections in each stall to facilitate sliding of the sections into and out of the stall.

In the preferred form of the invention the rods are so arranged, as shown in Fig. 1, that the plane of the rollers is slightly inclined to the rear so that the slidable section tends to move into position within the stall by gravity. This is particularly true when a load is placed in the stall.

The pitch of the incline is slight, however,'being approximately one-quarter of an inch in six feet, which is exaggerated in the drawing in order to illustrate the feature and will not interfere with intentional movement thereof into projected position. At the rear end of each stall there is provided a transverse member 20 which engages the back end of the slidable member and forms a stop therefor.

In accordance with the present invention novel means are provided for supporting the front end of each slidable section when in projected position. In the illustrated form of the invention this means comprises a wheeled carriage 21 having thereon means 22 for interlocking with the front end of the selected slidable section to be projected and to support the front end in all projected positions. Preferably the carriage comprises the usual lift truck 23 of the type used for lifting material storing pallets and having a jack means 24 thereon for raising the platform 23a of the carriage in response to operation of the handle 25. Supported on the platform is a vertically extensible member 26 adapted to be adjusted to a position to engage and support the selected slidable section. While this member may be any type of mechanical or hydraulic jack, for the purpose of simplicity it is herein illustrated as manually operable telescopic members 27, 28 movable to a position in which the means 22 is aligned with the front of the selected slidable section and held in adjustment by a pin 29 passing through both of the telescopic members.

The supporting member, in accordance with the present invention, is detachably connected to any one of the selected slidable members. For this purpose each of the slidable riiembe'rs has an outwardly facing u clip 30 secured to the front end thereof and the support has a tongue 31 mounted thereon in line with the slide for the bottom stall and a tongue' 3161 on the end of the upper'extehsible member 28. The tongue andthe U 'clip are'prw vided'with pairs or s'paced'holesiii en areade tedje handled; repeated-e bundle engaging means 34156 receiv and snpper the bundles This'nieansisherem 1 unrated as eomprtsnr 'trian'gular blocks 35 mounted in the cha n nel of members 16 and having angular sfdrfaces- 3 5a'positionefl to-eiiga'ge and support a'bun'cll 3%? out-er Contact with-"the sides and bottom of the-base so that atterthe bundle has been inserted through the open top of the" 'slidable section the lifting slings or members s'i'ca'n be Withdrawn readily from under the bundle.

'- In operation the stall in which it is desiredto store the bundle of steel is selected and the carriage moved into position in front of the stall. Theeitensjtne member on the carriage isa'djust'ed if necessary so that the carriage may be connected to the from end of the selected slid-able section; V The earria'geis then withdrayvh causing tl'ie'sl'ifl- 7 able section to be projected from within it's sen ror sunstantially its fun length wherein the epentop will be in exposed position. In this position the front rollerof the While the present invention hasbeen described as handling bundles of steel, it is equally applicable" totlie naring of other heavy objects which must be inserted into the top of the slidable section by lifting means; r V 7 Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claim and portions of the improvements may be used without others. r r p I claim: 7 t

In a stall type rack having vertical and transverse mem bers interconnected to provide a plurality of superposed t horizontally disposed open-ended stalls for storing heavy lobjectsrnovable by article liftingmeansthe improvement which comprises-providing a slidable section in each stall, said section including a base and side members with the 'side members having'spaces therein forming anopen top unit adapted when in receiving position to receive the object to'be stored andlthe'ispac'es in the sides permitting the lifting means to'depositthe object on the base without interferencetstop'means" at the rear er each stall tO 'en gage the section and prevent movement of; thelse'cti'on" therethrough; meansimounting saidslidable sections for movement through the front open end of the stall for sub stantially the full length of the section "topresent theopen top'of a selected slidable section to: receive heavy objects deposited directly. by article lifting mea'ns,: said means-in eluding a plurality of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending; elongate, ball bearing supported rollers in each stall extending thereacross' and having their, axes lying in; a rearwardly inc-lined plane whereby the sections are urged rearwardly to said stop means and against unintentional movement through the front of the stall; and a movable s't'all will support the rear end of the seetion and the car-.

riage will support the" front end 'ef the section; The bundle'of steel is then moved by the liftingrne'an's through the open top and'into position in which it is supported by the blocks 35; Because "of the open spaces in the-sides" of the slidable'section the lifting means can readily deposit the bundle into proper position in'the slidable section without any interference. After the load has Keen-placed in position the slingsor other lift means, which are dispesedbetween thebundle-s'upporting means; can beread= ily withdrawn without interference by the slida'bl'e' secnone The section is 'tlien retur' ned'to the stall and the s carriage disconnected'tl e'refrorn.

T'neprese-nt invention enables bundleszof steel to b storeddireetly into stall racks WllhODt' the necessity ofplacing the steel'in' the stall pieeerby piece as is-thepresent 7 method. This effects economy both as'to-=t Vneland-l-beams, they'may be readily fzt-brieatedinrany desired size or shape as may be required without ifiany' way deviating from the invention so that great quantities of steel may be readily and quickly stored;

carriage having a vertically extensible support post there? 7 on said post havingmeans at the upper end to interlock with the selected section and support'the front end of the slidable section in all projected positions.

R eferences' C it ed the file of this patent UNITED- STATES" PATENTS 

